Foldable display-rack for burial-caskets.



O. 0. WHITGOMB. FOLDABLE DISPLAY RAGK FOR BURIAL GASKETS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1906.

Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

ANDREW a. sum to FNOTO-LITHOGkAPNERS WASHKNGTON. 0.0.

WNTTE b TAEb PATENT @FFTQEO CHARLES 0. WHITCOMB, OF OXFORD, MICHIGAN.

FOLDABLE DISPLAY-RACK FOB BUBIAL-CASKETS.

95%,(P58. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 115, 1910.

Application filed March 26, 1906. Serial No. 307,967. 7

through the base bars and which at their upper ends are connected by the cross rod 7. Bracing the standards and supporting them in a Vertical position are the inclined bra "es 8 which extend from the top thereof downwardly to the cross rod 3 of the base bars.

The display rack proper comprises a tangular frame consisting of the parallel bars 9 joined at one end by the cross bar 10. and havingat their opposite ends the right angle portions 11 connected by the adjustable bar 12. The right angle portions 11 oi the bars 9 serve as a support for the end of the casket.

The parallel bars 9 of the rack are pivoted on the cross rod 13 to the upper ends of the links 14 through which said rod passes, the lower ends of said links being pivoted on the cross rod 6 connecting the base bars. The parallel bars of the rack are adapted to tilt upon said points of pivot from a vertical to a horizontal posit-ion and vice versa, and the links lat are adapted to swing in the arc of a circle upon their pivots (3, being limited in their downward movement by the hooked brace 15 which is pivotally secured at one end to the cross rod 13 and at the other end hooks over the rod 7.

In practice, the caskets will be mounted upon the racks and said racks swung to nor- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES O. urr- COMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oxford, in the county of Oakland, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foldable Display- Racks for Burial-Caskets; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a foldable display rack for burial caskets, and consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a display rack for burial caskets, of simple and inexpensive construction in which the arrangement is such as to enable the rack to be folded to occupy a vertical position and the casket to be supported in a vertical position thereon parallel with the rack; a further arrangement also provides for swinging the casket and the hinged or pivoted portion of the rack to a horizontal position to enable the casket to be displayed on all sides, the caskets when not being exhibited, standing b d tt d li i Fi in a vertical position around the display room, thereby occupying but a comparatively small space, enabling a great many caskets to be stored and displayed in a comparatively small room. The above object is attained by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a perspective view of my improved display rack showing the position of parts when extended, as when displaying a casket. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the rack extended and supporting a casket in a hori zontal position thereon, the dotted lines showing the rack folded and a casket in a vertical position. Fig. 3 is a view in detail of the adjustable cross bar at the end of the rack that supports the end of the casket.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1 designates the parallel bars of the base or pedestal provided at their ends with suitable casters 2 and connected at their ends by the cross bars 3 and 4. Rising centrally from the base bars 1 are the standards 5 which are mounted on the transverse rod 6 passing 2. When it is desired to display a casket in a horizontal position upon the rack, the lower end of the casket is pulled outwardly and upwardly, thereby causing the rack to swing on the fulcrum 13. In this movement as the casket approaches a horizontal. position, the upper ends of the links it will swing outwardly and downwardly until arrested by the hooked brace 15, the length of said brace being such as to arrest the links 14 at a point where the bars 9 of the rack when in a horizontal position, will rest upon the cross rod 7 of the standards 5, as shown in Fig. 1. The parts are so constructed that when the rack is extended horizontally with a casket thereon, the point of bearing of the rack upon the cross rod 7 will be substantially equidistant from the ends of the casket, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby effecting a perfect balance and enabling the casket to be readily handled.

To change the casket from a horizontal to a vertical position, a downward pressure is applied to the lower end thereof together mally stand in a vertical position, as shown with a. longitudinal pressure, said combined pressures causing the rack to swing upon the pivot 13 and the links 14 to swing upon the pivot 6, thereby causing said links to assume a vertical position, and the rack to stand nearly in a vertical position with the casket thereon, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, in which position the right angle end portions 11 of the bars of the rack will lie between the base bars of the pedestal and rest upon the cross rod 4, whereby with the weight of the casket supported upon the lower end of the rack, said rack will be prevented from accidentally swinging to a horizontal position.

By the arrangement above described, the casket when brought to rest in a horizontal position, is perfectly balanced, thereby relieving the rack from undue strain, and by means of the swinging links upon which the rack is carried, the rack is braced when. in a horizontal position and is reduced somewhat in height, giving a better appearance and greater stability. After being inspected, the casket may be restored to its normal vertical position by swinging the pivoted rack upon the supporting links, as before described, thereby effecting great economy in space and at the same time rendering each of the caskets in the display room readily accessible.

In order to enable the casket to stand in a proper vertical position upon the end supports 11 of the rack, the adjustable bar 12 is employed provided with the right angle end portions 16 which are threaded and which carry the adjusting nuts 17. These threaded end portions of said bar are adapted to freely enter the sockets 18 formed at the terminals of the angular end portions of the rack bars. By an adjustment of said nuts, said bar may be caused to project such distance as to properly engage the end of the casket accordingly as the base molding 19 thereof may vary in width or the end of the casket may vary in shape, thereby enabling the casket to be properly supported in a vertical position upon the rack.

It will be noted that the angular end por tions of the rack serve to prevent the casket sliding endwise when the rack is swung upon its point of pivot.

The rack is preferably formed of suitable iron bars and rods, whereby clumsiness and weight is avoided and the rack is rendered sufliciently strong and serviceable for the purpose intended.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination of a pedestal to support a casket in a vertical position, a rack to support the casket in a horizontal position, movable links of greater length than the height of the pedestal attached to the rack near its longitudinal center and pivotally connected with the pedestal to extend and support one end of the rack when the rack is in a horizontal position, said links retracting when the rack is swung to a vertical position.

2. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination of a pedestal comprising parallel base bars, vertical standards mounted thereon and a cross rod connecting the upper ends of said standards, a rack adapted to swing in the arc of a circle and to rest upon the cross rod of the standards when extended horizontally, links hinged to the rack and to the pedestal to automatically extend and coact with said cross rod to support the rack when it is moved to a horizontal position, said links retracting when the rack is swung to a vertical position.

3. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination of a pedestal, a casket supporting rack, links of greater length than the height of the pedestal pivotally connected to the rack near its longitudinal center and with the base of the pedestal, said links when extended supporting one end of the rack in a horizontal position, the opposite end of said rack being supported by the pedestal, said links adapted to carry the rack when swung from a horizontal to a vertical position.

l. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination of a pedestal, a casket supporting rack, connected links pivotally attached to the rack and to the pedestal, said links being adapted to support one end of the rack in a horizontal position, and a hooked brace carried by the part connecting the links for limiting the movement thereof.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES O. WHITCOMB.

Vitnesses E. E. EMP, G. J. vVrnTcoMB. 

